Oakland, CA, November 4, 2015  The Independent Institutessound fiscal management practices and commitment to accountabilityand transparency have once again earned it a 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, Americas largest independent charity evaluator. This is the sixth time that the Independent has earned this top distinction.

Independent Institutescoveted 4-Star Rating puts it in a very select group of high-performing charities, according to Michael Thatcher, President and CEO of Charity Navigator. Out of the thousands of nonprofits Charity Navigator evaluates, only one out of four earns 4 starsa rating that demands rigor, responsibility and commitment to openness. Independents supporters should feel much more confident that their hard-earned dollars are being used efficiently and responsibly when it acquires such a high rating.

Charity Navigator also ranks the Independent Institutes financial score in the top 10% of all charities they rate, indicating Independents outstanding performance in financial accountability and transparency.

We are honored to be recognized by Charity Navigator for fiscal responsibility as we strive to advance peaceful, prosperous, and free societies, said David J. Theroux, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer. Our 4-Star Charity Navigator rating demonstrates to supporters that we use their hard-earned dollars in the most efficient and transparent way possible. And this reinforces our similar GoldStar Nonprofit Profile Rating from GuideStar.

Since 2002, using objective, data-driven analysis, Charity Navigator has awarded only the most fiscally responsible organizations a 4-Star Rating. In 2011, Charity Navigator added 17 metrics, focused on governance and ethical practices as well as measures of openness, to its ratings methodology. These Accountability & Transparency metrics, which account for 50 percent of a charitys overall rating, reveal which charities have best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and whether they freely share basic information about their organization with their donors and other stakeholders.

About Charity Navigator

Charity Navigator is the largest charity evaluator in America and its website attracts more visitors than all other charity rating groups combined. The organization helps guide intelligent giving by evaluating the Financial Health and Accountability & Transparency of more than 8,000 charities. Charity Navigator accepts no advertising or donations from the organizations it evaluates, ensuring unbiased evaluations, nor does it charge the public for this trusted data. As a result, Charity Navigator provides a much-needed service to Americas charitable givers.

About Independent Institute

The Independent Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan, public-policy research and educational organization that shapes ideas into profound and lasting impact. The mission of Independent is to boldly advance peaceful, prosperous, and free societies grounded in a commitment to human worth and dignity. Applying independent thinking to issues that matter, we create transformational ideas for todays most pressing social and economic challenges. The results of this work are published as books, our quarterly journal, The Independent Review, and other publications and form the basis for numerous conference and media programs. By connecting these ideas with organizations and networks, we seek to inspire action that can unleash an era of unparalleled human flourishing at home and around the globe.